Cafe Four hosts Scruffy City Roots

Set for Scruffy City Roots, Square Room, Knoxville

Hosts for Scruffy City Roots

As I wrote in my guide to music festivals and series recently, it seems the former incarnation of Tennessee Shines has split into to entities. The first is Tennessee Shines at WDVX each Monday night, broadcast live on that station. The other is Scruffy City Roots, live from the Square Room on Market Square, and in some respects it is more like the original Tennessee Shines than is the current Tennessee Shines.

Scruffy City Roots is hosted by Scott Miller with interjections for broadcast and advertising purposes by a WUTK personality and interviews of the musicians by Jack Neely. The entire affair is being leveraged in every direction, with a live radio broadcast on WUTK, segments including backstage footage to be shown on WBIR and thirty minute segments to be broadcast on Public Television later this year. Additionally, it is streamed live via their website (linked above). Got that?

Scott Miller, "I Made a Mess of This Town"

What matters is the quality of the show, of course, and if the first show is any indication, there is no concern on that front. Scott Miller opened with his standard, "I Made a Mess of This Town," after which he welcomed the studio audience of around three hundred fifty people. Approximately seventy-five seats were provided for the first people to arrive when the doors opened and the others stood behind them. While the view could not have been as good from the back, the enthusiasm seemed to fill the room.

Jack Neely interviews Cruz Contreras and Eric Baker

Rayland Baxter, Scuffy City Roots, Knoxville, March 2012

Odessa Jorgensen and Rayland Baxter, Scruffy City Roots, Knoxville

The first guest artist on the inaugural show was Rayland Baxter, a singer-songwriter from originally from Tennessee and currently living in Nashville, who was accompanied by a lovely violinist, Odessa Jorgensen, who also sang a wonderful harmony. The songs were excellently written and nicely performed and tended toward themes of friends and nature. He said allergies were hurting him, but his vocals sounded good to me. He was prone to whistling a bit and did a great job of it, though I could have used it in fewer songs. It wasn't until the interview with Jack Neely that I realized that he's the son of Bucky Baxter, pedal steel guitar player extraordinaire, who I saw perform with Bob Dylan a dozen times or more back in the 90s. (Video of Rayland Baxter at the end of this post)

Delta Rae, Scruffy City Roots, Square Room, Knoxville, March 2012

Delta Rae, Scruffy City Roots, Square Room, Knoxville, March 2012  

Jack Neely interviews members of Delta Rae

The show also included Delta Rae who is not a woman and has no connection to the Delta that I could determine. They are a group from North Carolina and if they haven't spent some time as a house band in a praise church, I'm really off my game. The gospel influences were clear in their harmonies and the imagery in their lyrics. The group is heavy on harmony vocals to good effect and is probably aided in that effort by the fact that the group includes two brothers and a sister as well as a life-long friend building those harmonies. The music straddles a line somewhere between gospel, pop and Americana and is well worth a listen. (Video at the end of post)

Scruffy City All-Stars, Square Room, Knoxville, March 2012

Cruz Contreras and Eric Baker, Square Room, Knoxville, March 2012

Cruz Contreras and Jill Andrews, Square Room, Knoxville, March 2012

The Scruffy City All-Stars played the last hour of the two hour show and the core of the band included leader Cruz Contreras and two other members of the Black Lilies. Cycling through during the hour were Robinella, Jill Andrews, Eric Baker and a gentleman whose name I did not catch.

"Knoxville Girl"

Robinella performs "Oh Lonesome Me" at the Square Room, Knoxville

The songs were heavy on east Tennessee Roots, with Robinella doing a wonderful "Oh Lonesome Me" in homage to Don Gibson. Cruz and Eric did an excellent rendition of the Everly Brothers' "Wake Up Little Susie." The aforementioned gentleman joined Cruze in a morbid (is there another way?) rendition of Knoxville Girl. A Dolly Parton song also worked into the mix, if I recall correctly.

The entire entourage crowded the stage for a finale of "Tennessee Jed," which seemed appropriate enough. The evening ended on a strong note and everyone went home very happy. I might have liked to have seen R.B. Morris join the band for Thunder Road, but maybe that will happen somewhere down the line.

"Tennessee Jed" performed by the entire musical cast, Square Room

I have to tell you that I will try very hard to be at every one of these shows. It was that good. I'd encourage you to join me. Just don't get my seat if you want more pictures like these. And speaking of that . . . this is just a fraction of the shots I took. I'll post these and more in the coming days at my current repository for such things at the Stuck Inside of Knoxville Facebook page. Stop by and see what I've got - and "like" it while you are at it.

What you need to know about music festivals and series in Knoxville - All in one blog post!

Slow Blind Hill, Jr, Jaimie Cameron and Henry Perry, Preservation Pub, Knoxville

There are so many series and festivals running around town that you may have a hard time keeping them all straight. That's where I can help. We have a new series, a returning series, an ongoing series an old festival and a new one. Let's sort it all out.

I've written in the past about the marvelous "Homegrown" series hosted by WFIV and Preservation Pub. I used to make it out to Disc Exchange on occasion to hear the show when it broadcast from there, but honestly, as much as I love Disc Exchange, it was not a comfortable place to see a live show.

Jaimie Cameron, Preservation Pub, Knoxville

Henry Perry, Preservation Pub, Knoxville

The Speakeasy at the Preservation Pub is comfortable, smoke-free(ish) and has an excellent stage. The show features interviews and songs from local artists each Wednesday night from 7:00 to 8:00. It's a great slot for people who want to hear music during the week, but have to get up for work the next morning. It is also free, which is my favorite price.

Slow Blind Hill, Jr, Jaimie Cameron and Henry Perry, Preservation Pub, Knoxville

The photographs you are seeing on this post of Slow Blind Hill, Jr. are from a recent Homegrown show. Slow Blind Hill, Jr. features Jaimie Cameron on guitar and vocals and Henry Perry on harmonica and backing vocals. They are half of the full band, Slow Blind Hill and you can most often catch them playing their brand of blues at the Crown and Goose. I've enjoyed their music for many years and I suspect you would, too.

Tennessee Shines is a series sponsored  by WDVX which had its original run as a monthly show in the Bijou and was both broadcast live on the radio and was filmed for television. The series eventually went on a hiatus from which it appeared likely to never return. Then it returned - though in a drastically altered form. It now happens every Monday night, features more local talent, and is broadcast from the Knoxville Welcome Center via WDVX. The cost is $10. The photographs you are seeing of R.B. Morris and Greg Horne are from this series earlier this week. Megan McCormick (who is not local) will be featured next week, along with others.

R. B. Morris with Greg Horne, Tennessee Shines, Knoxville, March 2012

R. B. Morris with Greg Horne, Tennessee Shines, Knoxville, March 2012 

So, you've got your Monday night and your Wednesday night covered, but once a month you'll need to throw in a Thursday night for Scruffy City Roots. The concept here is actually closer to the original Tennessee Shines than is the current Tennessee Shines. Scott Miller, who, thankfully, can't seem to ever leave Knoxville will host the show and Jack Neely will interview guests between sets.

It will broadcast live over WUTK from the Square Room and will be viewable on the website as it is filmed for possible broadcast at a later time (I'm pretty sure about the last part). The cost is $15 in advance and $20 the day of the show. The series holds its inaugural episode this coming Thursday night, March 22.

R. B. Morris with Greg Horne, Tennessee Shines, Knoxville, March 2012 

Earthbeats is a festival focusing on Earth Day and taking place on April 21 on the World's Fair Park. It includes artists such as two of my favorites: Theorzt and Jodi Manross.

Finally, the Rhythm N Blooms festival returns this year as a part of the Dogwood Arts Festival and includes local, regional and national artists such as Amos Lee, Citizen Cope, the Black Lillies and Darrell Scott playing venues all around downtown over a three day period from April 20 - 22. Tickets for the entire weekend are $55 and single-day tickets are $25.

R. B. Morris with Greg Horne, Tennessee Shines, Knoxville, March 2012 

So, there you go, all laid out for you to mark up your calendar and save your money. Again, Knoxville is overwhelmed with great music. Are we the capital of Americana music? That's a good possibility to ponder. In the meantime, just get out and enjoy it.

First Night Knoxville 2012, Part 2: A little Jazz and a little Jodie

Dixieland Jazz at the Square Room, First Night Knoxville 2012

From the beginning of First Night choices had to be made. I wanted to see most of the music and I was interested in how the music would work in some of the venues I'd never been in before. I've never been much on comedy, so I let that go upfront, though it would have been interesting to see both Erin Donovan and Einstein Simplified. Maybe some of you caught them and might tell us how that went. I also sacrificed two of my favorites, Robinella and the Black Cadillacs because I've seen them so many times.

Dixieland Jazz at the Square Room, First Night Knoxville 2012

Those of you who regularly read this blog know I had to make time for some of the jazz. They made that part easy: Jazz started in the Square room at 5:30, nearly two hours before the other artists. I caught a bit of the first set and most of the second. The room was packed for both sets with probably two to three hundred people and little over-lap between the audiences for the two sets (Vance Thompson asked for a show of hands).

Most of the band is affiliated with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, the UT Jazz Program or both. Vance Thompson led the band and also leads the KJO and teaches in the program at UT. I'm pretty sure the trombone, bass and guitar players play with KJO. The other members of the band are familiar subjects to this blog: I wrote about them last week after hearing them at Barley's. Brothers Kenneth (drums) and Keith (piano) Brown and multi-instrumentalist Will Boyd looked quite a bit different in their New Year's Eve dress-up outfits after seeing them a few days earlier in more comfortable clothes.

Dixieland Jazz at the Square Room, First Night Knoxville 2012

It was a classy night all around and the musicianship was superb. The musical focus was Dixieland Jazz which was a far cry from what the Nu Jazz Fourtet plays. It was fun to hear the old songs from "When the Saints Go Marching In" to "Basin Street Blues." I forget how fun Dixieland can be and how good it can sound with a modern sound system. Most of the Dixieland I listen to was recorded on crude machines early in the last century. I particularly enjoyed watching Keith play an entirely different style on the piano. I also realized that the  rhythm section of a jazz band are the hardest working men on stage. Everybody else plays a solo and takes a break; the drummer just keeps on pounding.

Jodie Manross, Miller's Atrium

Next I rushed over to listen to Jodie Manross. I stayed for about half of her set before I rushed away to the next artist. Her portion of the evening was in the Miller's Atrium and I didn't really have any idea what that meant. I've never had a reason to actually enter the Millers Building and so had no indication that the core of the building is a pretty awesome open area from bottom to top with beautifully tiled marble flooring.

Jodie Manross, Miller's Atrium, First Night Knoxville 2012

Jodie opened, as she did last time I heard her, with "Make You Feel My Love." It's a great song in any case and it certainly works for her. It seemed more together this time than last with the simple percussion fitting more comfortably with her gorgeous voice. The marble and the shape of the venue added a little natural reverb that fit this song perfectly. Unfortunately, the reverb didn't serve the other songs quite as well. While the instruments seemed clear, I couldn't quite catch the vocals the rest of the time I listened. Her voice was beautiful, but I'm, at the end of the day a word man and I couldn't understand them.

Jodie Manross, Miller's Atrium, First Night Knoxville 2012

Still, it was a charming setting and Jodie is always a treat. About two to three dozen people drifted in and out and that was to be the norm for the night as people scrambled to hear a bit of the many artists offered. It was the same for me. After a half-dozen songs or so I left for another venue. More on that in the next post.

Jodie Manross, Miller's Atrium, First Night Knoxville 2012

Jazz in the City: A Movie Premier, Jazz Royalty and the Jazz Future

Emily Mathis and Band, Square Room, Knoxville, September 2011

A large crown of lucky people enjoyed a brilliant night of jazz and saw the premiere of the documentary movie "A Place for Me: Living Jazz in a Small Southern City" on Tuesday night. The Square Room hosted the event and the music began at 7:00 with Emily Mathis and her band singing her smooth, though sometimes aggressive version of the featured genre. As is usually the case with the Square Room, the acoustics were superb and the venue was a perfect fit for the performances. It truly is a "listening" room.

Emily Mathis, Square Room, Knoxville

Rocky Wynder joins Emily Mathis on stage, Square Room, Knoxville

As she completed her set, Emily brought 82 year old Jazz legend, Rocky Wynder onto the stage to sit in with the band on saxophone. Rocky was born in Pensacola but became a part of Knoxville Jazz history beginning in 1950. "Spry" is the irresistible word to use when describing Rocky who wore black dress pants and white running shoes. His playing shows no sign of age unless it is in the mature, road-worn impeccable timing and smooth tones emanating from his black saxophone.

Donald Brown kept the night moving

Donald Brown MC'd the event and took the stage at around 8:00 to introduce the documentary. Wonderfully and lovingly crafted, the movie details the early days of jazz in Knoxville in the 1920's and brings it forward through the decades. Ashley Capps, Jack Neely and Bill Scarlett are featured throughout and the three, though particularly Neely, keep the narrative thread moving. The local jazz scene took a leap forward in the 1950s with Rocky Wynder and Lance Owens. Bill Scarlett arrived later and the UT Jazz Giants were formed. The addition of a Jazz major at UT in the 1970s and the advent of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra under the leadership of Vance Thompson were also critical to nurturing this small community of musicians.

Thad Brown (on Drums) Band, Square Room, Knoxville, Septembe 2011

Thad Brown Band, Square Room, Knoxville

After the film, which was very warmly received, Thad Brown and his band played their version of jazz, which bordered on jazz-fusion at times, but always veered back toward the jazz end of that spectrum. Their sounds were hypnotic and borrowed from ancient Chinese music forms as well as other non-jazz sources as they unfolded their own unique vision on the stage. Creative beyond description, I was tentative at first, but was completely won over by the end of their set.

Nu Jazz 4tet, Square Room, Knoxville, September 2011

Donald Brown on bass, Keith Brown on piano with Rocky Wynder

The Nu Jazz 4tet ended the night. The band features brothers Keith and Kenneth Brown, but room was made on the stage for both Rocky Wynder and Lance Owens and their smoothly complimentary sounds to open the set. Donald Brown even sat in on bass for one song. A more modern jazz ensemble, they chose to include several Keith Jarret compositions which, for some reason, prompted Donald Brown to make light-hearted cat-calls from off-stage directed at his sons.

Keith Brown with Lance Owens and Rocky Wynder

The night was a great one with jazz luminaries joined by local celebrities, downtown residents and jazz fans from around the region. The music, as always in Knoxville, stole the spotlight, though the film was revelatory as it revealed the depth of jazz history in the city. Of course, Knoxville itself also took a starring role. The old footage and photographs of a city that looked very different, though similar to the one we love today was worth the price of admission in and of itself.

Lance Owens/Rocky Wynder, Square Room, Knoxville, September 2011

Rocky Wynder, Square Room, Knoxville

If any of this sounds good to you, get involved. The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra kicks off their season next week with a tribute to Louis Armstrong. I'll leave you with the sounds of Rocky Winder.

Tonight's the Night: Meet Your Future with CBID and Mayors

I'm going to hit the subject again because it is so important. Make sure you get to the Square Room by 5:00. That will begin the 45 minute meet and greet with the staff and board of the CBID, followed by the monthly board meeting at 5:45. This is a rare opportunity for those of us who can't come to the regular middle-of-the-day meetings. If enough of us attend they will probably do this again. If I have to personally eat each and every "light appetizer" it probably won't be repeated.

The board meeting ends in time for everyone to attend the mayoral debate. Meet your future. This meeting promises to be the debate or forum most focused on downtown. Come to both meetings prepared with your questions.
For those of you who may wonder who or what this CBID business is, you could follow the link above (and sign up for e-mail updates). Or you can keep reading, though I'm not your best source of information on the topic, I'll explain a bit:
The Central Business Improvement District was created in 1993 to improve life in downtown Knoxville. While they can't get all the credit, any honest comparison of the state of the city in 1993 versus the state of the city in 2011 suggests that they are doing something very, very well. In a nut-shell, they make decisions about the disbursement of funds for improvements downtown.
The funding comes from a special assessment (IE tax. I know, I just lost all the Republican readers) on downtown businesses and residents. The money most often goes to improving facades on buildings in which developers have agreed to do the work required to make the building usable. The idea is that downtown is improved regardless of the success or failure of the new venture because the buildings are more attractive and stable.
I am happy we have such an organization, though I've heard all the views of the detractors. I don't mind paying extra taxes when the city benefits and I think that is the case in this instance. My only complaint is that the meetings are all held during daytime hours when most downtown residents are working. Many of us can't leave work or simply don't work downtown, leaving us out of the loop of the decision-making.
I think the board heard that concern and they have responded in this small way. Please, please, please support the gesture. Be there. Introduce yourself. Tell them if you'd like to have more meetings scheduled in the evening. What about a quarterly meeting in the evening? There is at least one residential representative on the board (currently Melissa Everett according to this list - oddly the CBID site doesn't name the board), wouldn't it be nice if our representative held at least quarterly evening meetings to update us on the expenditures of our money and the current issues in order for us to express our opinions for them to carry back to the board meetings?
So, as I point out often, you have a choice: Urban Guy eats all the hors d'oeuvres and we likely never have another night meeting or we fight for snacks, ask good questions, express our interest in more evening meetings and maybe we get more such events in the future.
As for the mayoral debate/forum at 7:00 at the Crowne Plaza, if you don't see what an opportunity that is and how important the next mayor will be to downtown, then no amount of explaining can solve that problem.

I'll leave you with a video. Just in case any of you had the sad idea that my title refers to a sappy song by Rod Stewart, I'm posting the real inspiration by the inimitable Mr. Neil Young. Enjoy (and I'll see you tonight, right?!?)

Monday Night is Booked - Write it on the Wall

I know some of you must get tired of me suggesting you go to this musical event or that artistic or literary event, but I absolutely must implore you to attend back-to-back events this Monday night: The CBID event at the Square Room and the Mayoral Debate at the Crown Plaza.

I know - not the mayoral candidates - it's my best mayor picture!

CBID normally meets during the day and downtown residents who work outside the city cannot attend. Here's the current notice making the rounds:

CBID to Hold After Hours Meet & Greet

Meet the staff and board of the Central Business Improvement District, and find out what projects are underway in downtown Knoxville or how to get involved. Swing by the Square Room at 4 Market Square on August 22 from 5-5:45 for light appetizers and social time. The board meeting will begin at 5:45 and will conclude in time to for everyone to attend the mayoral debate hosted by City People at The Crowne Plaza at 7pm.

 . . . which just about sums it up. One of the most important groups in downtown: The Central Business Improvement District, a group to which all downtown property owners belong by virtue of the fact that we pay an extra tax, is holding a rare (unprecedented?) evening meeting. Please attend. If you don't, then they will figure day meetings are fine. I think there should be a quarterly meeting at night so residents who are unable to attend at noon may attend. A good portion of their money is OUR money, so we need to be involved.

The statement above also indicates that consideration will be given to the fact that the most important election to downtown residents is just a few weeks away and the most prominent candidates will be available to discuss the issues most important to downtown and to answer YOUR questions. Don't miss the opportunity. It's too important. Wear your Urban Nation t-shirts and converge en masse on the Square Room and then march on the Crowne Plaza.

Seriously, if you feel downtown is important, you simply must attend both of these events. Your absence will speak as loudly as your presence could have spoken. Be there. Ask questions. Be involved.

Free Music, A Little More Pricey Music and Great Food

Friday, July 30 (I know I'm going back a couple of weeks, but so much has been happening!), offered yet another great day for music downtown. Mary Gauthier was in town for a joint show with Robinella at the Square Room. Tickets, with all the little charges, were around $40 or $50 per person, but that included a delicious four-course meal prepared by Cafe Four. Not a bad deal at all and in the intimate confines of the accoustically superior Square Room, really a remarkable evening. Still, at that price, not everyone would be able to attend.

That's where Knoxville, Tony Lawson, WDVX and the whole musical community here reveal their true beauty: Introduced by Tony, Mary did a sample of the songs at the Blue Plate special broadcast from the Square Room at noon, and it was entirely free.

The pictures included here are from that show, though I attended both. Mary's slightly ragged, dry and southern delivery of some of the most poignant lines being written effortlessly moves audiences. It is stunning to realize this enormously talented woman did not write a song until she was thirty-five years old. One of the absolutely best songs ever written - and I don't say that lightly, I've loved and studied music for many years - is her tender homage to the woundedness in us all, Mercy Now. Follow that link and you can hear a clip, but don't stop there, buy it or buy the entire CD. I've worn the song out and it can still bring me to tears. It has to be on your ipod. I mean it. Have you clicked, yet? Promise to get it from itunes, later? OK.

She was in excellent form at both shows and accompanist, Tania Elizabeth, formerly of the Duhks was fantastic in support. The always lovable Robinella finished the evening with her amazing vocal stylings and ever charming stories. A great night (or lunchtime) to be in Knoxville.